Smoke Testing

Identifying Sanitary Sewer Line Problems
The process of smoke testing is one way to identify problems that exist in the City's sanitary sewer lines.

The process begins by injecting a nontoxic vapor, referred to as smoke, into a segment of sewer line. Once the smoke is injected a large blower, or fan, forces the smoke through the line. Field technicians then look for smoke exiting the sewer system in locations that are not normal such as storm drains, down spouts, and clean outs. These locations allow unwanted rainfall or ground water to enter the sanitary sewer which leads to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).